Catrinaf25 Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 We will be going out of town for Christmas , we will leave Christmas eve when DH gets off work and stay Christmas day and leave the day after.We will only be taking one gift per child ( we won't have room in our SUV to take more as we have 6 kids) . Ive never faced this problem before and not sure how to handle it. We litterly will have no room for gifts in the SUV but maybe one each. Santa will fill the stockings and leave them at home along with the gifts Santa is going to bring them. How do I explain this to the kids? They will each get 2 gifts from my Dh's mom so they will have something to open Christmas morning plus the gift we take them but everything else is at home. I dont want them disappointed. Do I just explain the gifts are at home waiting? We adopted our 4 this past June and although they are older children I am not sure if they will be upset. Our two biological children won't mind. Well our youngest biological child is handicap and won't make a fuss and our 12 year old won't mind. I guess I just need some idea's where the other 4 ( really 3 of the 4 as the teen will get it) but the smaller 3 girls will understand the gifts will be there when we get home and that "santa" didn't forget them ( as he has many years in the past). Now they was with us last christmas and santa was very good to them. I just not sure how to make them understand Christmas morning there wont be a lot under the tree at Their dad's moms house ( as we cant get it home!!) I'm not even sure if we can fit a gift AND stockings in the car so we decided just one gift each ( a game for their portable game systems they can play on way home) . We dont spend Christmas away from home so this is new to us all. Thanks for any advice!
conj Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 is anyone watching your house/pets? Could they call and say OMG Santa already left presents here? Could you talk to the kids about space, and suggest they leave a note to santa asking to leave the presents at home, since you wouldn't have room to bring them back?
Catrinaf25 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Posted December 7, 2009 Our pets are going with noone will be here. Thats a good idea about a note. I may try that!
tntsmomie Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 Can you arrange with Santa to have "Christmas" early? Maybe he can bring presents on Christmas Eve morning?
jendeere Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 Can you arrange with Santa to have "Christmas" early? Maybe he can bring presents on Christmas Eve morning?this is what we did when dd still believed. I would talk to your kids and tell them that you've made special arrangements with santa and he will be bringing their gifts a little early (or late if you would rather do it when you get back.
Mikesgirl Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 I have had to email Santa before to ask if he could come a day early and this year I had to email and ask him to come a day late!
dealluvr Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 tell the kids as long as you are going away santa said we could have a new years eve party.open presents and everything like that on new years eve plus at midnight do new years eve stuff party all day long
Catrinaf25 Posted December 7, 2009 Author Posted December 7, 2009 We can't do it early bc dh is a Deputy and just works so much. I like the email idea just hope they are not upset Christmas morning. Has anyone ever had to go away and not do gifts until you got back? how did the kids take it?
Mikesgirl Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 I havent had to go away but DD goes to her dads so she has to wait for her gifts/Santa till he brings her home.. I had a friend call her one year playing "santa" and told her he wouldnt forget her and promised her he would leave her presents at mommy's house so they would be there waiting for her(this was before she was old enough to understand email).. We always wait to open gifts till my parents get here and this year they cant get here till the day after..
Illinoismom Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 Take a picture with your phone, and Christmas morning have some one call it and bring up the picture of all the presents under the tree that santa left. This way they will know it's your house and they will see what is there and be excited to get home. `
siczlo Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 Take a picture with your phone, and Christmas morning have some one call it and bring up the picture of all the presents under the tree that santa left. This way they will know it's your house and they will see what is there and be excited to get home. `Cute idea! Or rent a uhaul mini trailer and bring it with you!
Lyricsmama Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 We're doing the same thing, we're leaving Christmas Eve after hubby gets home from work and we'll be headed back on the 27th. We only have a car and I have to bring gifts for everyone else and the trunk would just be entirely too full. So we're doing an early xmas here at home on the 22nd, including Santa gifts. What we did was have the girls tell Santa yesterday well ask if he could come early because they're going to be at Grandma/Grandpas house. So he'll come early here, we're also going to write a letter for them when we get to my mom's house and have a few smaller santa gifts for them there (including stockings) that my mom got and bringing 1 small gift each from me and their dad for under the tree xmas day. They're young enough (3 and 6) where it's not going to matter much and they'll believe it lol.
ShoppingChick13 Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 I think the best way is to let them know a few days before. Talk about it with them and let them know that you talked to Santa and he know there won't be enough room in your car to bring them home from Grandma's and that he is going to deliver them to the house the morning after you get back home and you all will have two Christmases this year. This way they will know what is going on before hand and will not be disappointed on Christmas morning. (I am concerned that they have had nothing on Christmas morning before and had been promised presents in a few days and they never received them) After you talk to them about it the first time I would mention it again a few times in casual conversation so they don't forget. Have a safe trip and have fun!
B&H Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 Santa has always been very accommodating for our family when logistically we were unable to have Christmas on the 25th. As a nurse, I have to work on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day every couple of years. My kids don't want to give up on going to bed at their own house with the anticipation of Santa delivering presents. I just call the Santa hotline and leave a message on the answering machine concerning the date that we would like to have Christmas. He finds a way to make a special delivery for us on that day. The kids have never minded because the tradition remains intact. We do all the usual Christmas Eve activities even though it might be on the 28th. The next morning when they wake up Santa has made his delivery. They are always delighted and probably don't really remember what the date is!!
AndreaInNC Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 we always were on the road when my kids were smaller. We always left the Santa gifts at home. Maybe you can buy some small stockings and fill them with candy and a note from Santa that says all their gifts are under the tree at their home? Or a visit to see Santa so you can explain in front of the kids that he needs to leave the gifts at their home and that you'll make sure that you leave milk and cookies in the fridge for him? Or whatever you leave for Santa .. at our house we leave Pepsi and cookies!
vsa3janes Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 Can you ship the gifts to your destination and they would be there for Christmas morning?
AndreaInNC Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 from what the OP said, they won't have room in the car for the ride back for any extras. I sure hope you figure something out!
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